Queens Park Rangers headed into the 2013-14 Championship season as one of the favourites for promotion, but sit in the playoff places at the halfway stage.
The drop into the second tier of English football meant that Harry Redknapp was forced to let several of his best players leave the club in the summer, including French striker Loic Remy, who headed to Newcastle United on a season-long loan.
Despite the departures, QPR started the season in impressive form, and remain in a strong position heading into the second half.
Sports Mole looks back at the first 23 games of the campaign for the Loftus Road side.
August
QPR had to come from behind to clinch a win in their opening match of the season after Atdhe Nuhiu had given Sheffield Wednesday the lead, before Nedum Onuoha and Andy Johnson put the Hoops ahead.
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The team's first away game of the season resulted in a 1-1 draw, after Junior Hoilett cancelled out a strike from James Vaughan for Huddersfield Town.
The Hoops finished the month with a run of three 1-0 wins, ensuring that they finished August second in the Championship table.
Tom Hitchcock hit a late winner to down Ipswich Town at Loftus Road, while Johnson was on the scoresheet again against Bolton Wanderers, before Clint Hill sealed the points against Leeds United at Elland Road.
September
Charlie Austin, who joined the club from Burnley during the summer transfer window, scored his first league goal for the club as their run of 1-0 wins continued against Birmingham City.
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QPR dropped points for the first time in over a month when Brighton & Hove Albion visited Loftus Road, frustrating the team with a goalless draw.
However, it was back-to-back wins to finish the month, with Austin among the goals in both games.
The striker scored from the penalty spot to see Harry Redknapp's side past league newcomers Yeovil Town, before he and Joey Barton found the target in a 2-0 win against Middlesbrough, moving QPR to the top of the table.
October
Austin continued his fine goalscoring form into October, adding a brace against Barnsley in the opening game of the month.
However, a run of three outings without a win saw the side slip to third by the end of the month.
Jermaine Easter scored a stoppage-time equaliser to hold QPR to a 2-2 draw against Millwall, before Burnley, who replaced the Hoops at the top of the table in September, took a 2-0 win through a Danny Ings brace, inflicting the first defeat of the season on the club.
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The month finished with a visit to the DW Stadium, where they shared a goalless draw with Wigan Athletic.
November
It was a good start to November, inflicting a first defeat on Derby County since Steve McClaren took over at the club, with Jermaine Jenas and Jake Buxton scoring.
A free kick from Barton rescued a point against Reading at the Madejski Stadium, but a first-half goal from Austin had the team back to winning ways against Charlton Athletic the following week.
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However, the month ended with a second defeat of the season, as Paul Quinn headed in a late winner for Doncaster Rovers.
December
The team's strong form at home allowed them to move up to second in the table following their first match of December, as the Hoops thrashed Bournemouth 3-0.
A goalless draw with Blackburn Rovers followed by a 2-0 win over Blackpool soon saw the team return to the top of the table for the first time since October.
In their final match before Christmas, QPR lost their unbeaten home record as James Vardy netted the only goal in Leicester City's 1-0 win, which also saw Barton sent off after picking up two bookings in the space of a minute.
It was a second loss in a row on Boxing Day, when Nottingham Forest clinched a 2-0 win, which saw QPR slip out of the automatic promotion places.
The promotion hopefuls failed to score for their third game in a row when they faced Watford in their final match of the year.
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The goalless draw saw them slide to fourth, their lowest position in the table since the opening month of the season.
Sian Cowper
